Having read all of this again, I am even more convinced than ever about something that I mentioned many months ago: given the state of photographic practice today, the medium would probably not have inspired me to devote a lifetime to it. Nor even a month.

The crucial thing is this: when I started out, the 60s, it was about you the photographer picking up your model and a trunk load of product, going off into the wherever and making pretty pictures of somebody who just happened to be wearing the client´s clothes. That´s it - no makeup artist, the girls knew how - nobody else, even an art director. Sometimes, in the studio and for advertising, one would bother to come along, but generally you just got a rough layout and were told to do your thing. Which you did, and you lived or died by that.

Yes, yes, there were those others that had the entire load of hangers-on in tow, but they were the exception. You worked very much within a very tight group of models, building up trust and possibilities by virtue of each knowing what the other was looking for, and who could do what. I loved it; I felt I was making something which if not quite my own, was at most part-owned by just the model.

And how nice it was to end the thing with the handing over of finished prints or, better, edited transparencies! You were home and safe and failures further along the line would not come to haunt YOU. Until I got into calendar production, of course, where bloody printers became a whole new problem, one which billed even higher than you could!

Horses for courses, as the saying goes, so without the suitable courses I´d probably never have started the race. On the whole, glad I did, though.

How fancy your camera or how big your lens isn't really very important...it's really down to what does the final image look like? And if it takes a crew to produce it, who cares?[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=212823\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

When I come first to New York I work with many photographers. Some are very good and know photography and art.

Many I work with do not know. I see them work and they have the magazine photo they give to the technicians who make their picture look like the page in the magazine.

It makes me think I can be as a photographer. Customers like me and I know that many clients so I make some tests and photograph to show my clients.

I began to do great work. I do worry first that I do not know photography as technical art. I then understand that the customer does not care.

My clients loves that I have a good time with them.

They hire me many times already.

Most I shoot with film. Film is much more easy than digital. When I use digital I am with the Canon for the camera outside and Phase 1 of creative work in studio. I do not like the Hasselblad. That access is not comfortable in my hand.

The technical assistants and me have fun. Once I pushed my first polaroid and I do it myself. It is empty. The assistants laugh and tell me to do it again. They tell me wait a minute and push it apart. It seems very beautiful. I ask if I wait two minutes is it more beautiful. The assistants laugh more.

Some photographers do not like the way I work. I think they are too serious of the camera and light.

To get a device is easy. For small jobs and for my work the assistant will always give me to use their camera and lights. For great job, the customer pays for everything, so I do not need to possess.

I call the studio and they do all the camera light and food.

If the photo I make needs more the customer can set the retouching. For my personal projects assistants will set the retouching so I let it go. I would not spend time on learning photoshop as there are many to do it very well.

Maybe because I am from outside of America it is easier. To be a photographer in New York is much bigger than being a hairdresser or makeup perosn. I work not as hard and have more money.

When I work with a new customer I want them to believe I know the technical art. I always have the studio for 10 of these large fires lights. They make their way into the air and direct them to the model.

I do not know the names of these lights. I call them fires and the studio understands.

I say turn on all the fires and take a photograph. It does not seem good so I say turn off fire 2 and take another photo.

Finally, we all turn off and leave the technical assistants to do lighting.

The customer always says to me I am the master of fires lighting.

When the customer asks me for another job I do not do all the fires because it's too much. I let the technical assistants do the light.

My most cool camera is a I-phone. I use it to walk around and take creative pictures for a new book. It is very easy and I think it would be special if the professional camera worked this way.

I can tell many people care about the camera and light. I am sorry but I think they are maybe too serious.

They would have more fun and more customer-oriented if they hire people to do the work, then the customer likes and believes the photographer is creative.

People say to only know the talk is not enough. A photographer must learn to walk. I say talk is enough. If the picture is good at the final it does not matter who does the walk.

I do not want to do like the technical assistants and hard work for not a lot of money. I am very happy that they will do it for me and more happy to be the creative snapper.__________________________________________________________________________

When I started out in fashion: - A smart friend in Finland who used to be a pro told me "dress better and keep some drugs for the models in your pockets".- A smart friend in Paris who used to be an AD for a bunch of magazines told me "Your pictures are good, but you are ugly. Get a pretty boy to be your assistant to play with the models". - A well-known gallery owner spent several hours explaining the facts of life to me. He told me "Your pictures are ok, but who do you know, who do you sleep with ? That's what makes the difference".- I found out the hard way that the above were good advice. I don't like (1) myself, but when assisting I saw it done and it sure works. As for (2) I tried it, and it also worked.

Some guys are good with camera, some with post, some with the model's mood, some with stylism, some with lighting, some with post, some with creative setups, and some charm the client. To each his own. And btw, I've given up on fashion. But I had some fun

Edmund

Quote

We have moved into a world of talkers.

I do not want to do like the technical assistants and hard work for not a lot of money. I am very happy that they will do it for me and more happy to be the creative snapper.__________________________________________________________________________

When I started out in fashion: - A smart friend in Finland who used to be a pro told me "dress better and keep some drugs for the models in your pockets".- A smart friend in Paris who used to be an AD for a bunch of magazines told me "Your pictures are good, but you are ugly. Get a pretty boy to be your assistant to play with the models". - A well-known gallery owner spent several hours explaining the facts of life to me. He told me "Your pictures are ok, but who do you know, who do you sleep with ? That's what makes the difference".- I found out the hard way that the above were good advice. I don't like (1) myself, but when assisting I saw it done and it sure works. As for (2) I tried it, and it also worked.

Some guys are good with camera, some with post, some with the model's mood, some with stylism, some with lighting, some with post, some with creative setups, and some charm the client. To each his own. And btw, I've given up on fashion. But I had some fun

The reality now is that there are too many good, reliable shooters willing and able to shoot whatever safe vision an AD has for anyone to go batshit doing coke/meth/rock/dust/acid/Wild Turkey on set. Really. T-Bone can do it, but that's why you hire T-Bone, because he does what no one else can or is willing to do.

As to having a cute assistant to deal with the models, it can't hurt. What works best is to be professional and natural. Chat up the clients, is more to the point.

As to the art world thing, well, its just a business, no? Like any other but closer to an American high school than Microsoft.

____________________________________________________________________________When I come first to New York I work with many photographers. Some are very good and know photography and art.

Many I work with do not know. I see them work and they have the magazine photo they give to the technicians who make their picture look like the page in the magazine.

It makes me think I can be as a photographer. Customers like me and I know that many clients so I make some tests and photograph to show my clients.

I began to do great work. I do worry first that I do not know photography as technical art. I then understand that the customer does not care.

My clients loves that I have a good time with them.

They hire me many times already.

Most I shoot with film. Film is much more easy than digital. When I use digital I am with the Canon for the camera outside and Phase 1 of creative work in studio. I do not like the Hasselblad. That access is not comfortable in my hand.

The technical assistants and me have fun. Once I pushed my first polaroid and I do it myself. It is empty. The assistants laugh and tell me to do it again. They tell me wait a minute and push it apart. It seems very beautiful. I ask if I wait two minutes is it more beautiful. The assistants laugh more.

Some photographers do not like the way I work. I think they are too serious of the camera and light.

To get a device is easy. For small jobs and for my work the assistant will always give me to use their camera and lights. For great job, the customer pays for everything, so I do not need to possess.

I call the studio and they do all the camera light and food.

If the photo I make needs more the customer can set the retouching. For my personal projects assistants will set the retouching so I let it go. I would not spend time on learning photoshop as there are many to do it very well.

Maybe because I am from outside of America it is easier. To be a photographer in New York is much bigger than being a hairdresser or makeup perosn. I work not as hard and have more money.

When I work with a new customer I want them to believe I know the technical art. I always have the studio for 10 of these large fires lights. They make their way into the air and direct them to the model.

I do not know the names of these lights. I call them fires and the studio understands.

I say turn on all the fires and take a photograph. It does not seem good so I say turn off fire 2 and take another photo.

Finally, we all turn off and leave the technical assistants to do lighting.

The customer always says to me I am the master of fires lighting.

When the customer asks me for another job I do not do all the fires because it's too much. I let the technical assistants do the light.

My most cool camera is a I-phone. I use it to walk around and take creative pictures for a new book. It is very easy and I think it would be special if the professional camera worked this way.

I can tell many people care about the camera and light. I am sorry but I think they are maybe too serious.

They would have more fun and more customer-oriented if they hire people to do the work, then the customer likes and believes the photographer is creative.

People say to only know the talk is not enough. A photographer must learn to walk. I say talk is enough. If the picture is good at the final it does not matter who does the walk.

I do not want to do like the technical assistants and hard work for not a lot of money. I am very happy that they will do it for me and more happy to be the creative snapper.__________________________________________________________________________

I keep a separate chapter on my website, to show (and impress) clients with my Digital Tech full-time team. I haven't updated the site in some time, but this gives you a glimpse into my studio, and my back-up team, and my server:

Thanks for the compliment The IBM shoot and indeed the squareamerica site is fantastic.Do you manage the site or do you just like it a lot. Have you ever done sick-looking seventies lighting yourself?D